So I've had ten sessions with my trainer, and guess how many were lower body vs upper?

Lower: 100%Upper: zero

First caveat: My shoulder injury was in full glory when I started with him, so we weren't going upper body at first. For the first 5 sessions or so there was just no point.

Second caveat: We have done some upper body exercises, he's shown me plenty of exercises, I don't want to give the idea he's ignored it, it's just that it's always something we do sometimes, at the end of a session.

So his judgment, which I'm paying to receive, is that we start with squat, box squat, deadlifts, deficits, and so on. I mention this because I came to lifting like most men in the USA, and perhaps the world, thinking that making up a schedule involved figuring out what days to do bench, curls, and sit-ups. Everything was an accessory to those. Squat? Does that improve bench? Hey, I didn't know any better, and most guys don't.

But now that I've paid for some guidance, I realize: what else would I expect? Upper can wait, I'm sure we'll get to it, but squats come first.

The word will probably never get out, but we gotta keep the flame alive. When somebody tells you they might want to lift, you say, "Awesome, let's start with something you'll love cuz you can move monster weight, it's called the squat..."

Don't you think part of it would also be that 2/3 lifts are lower body and the potential improvement for them before competition would almost always be higher than for a bench press, even w/o your injury.

Well, i've often said the best thing that ever happened to my training was an RC tear. It forced me to concentrate almost exclusively on lower body. Before that, I hated lower body work which consisted of squats (either crappy free squats or smith machine squats), leg press, leg curls, leg extensions. I despised that training day and if I ever had to miss one, it was that. This mindset has went full circle now, though. I'll sacrifice an upper body day if I have to, vs a lower body day.

Also when I got back to upper body stuff i had practically lost no strength at all

Don't you think part of it would also be that 2/3 lifts are lower body and the potential improvement for them before competition would almost always be higher than for a bench press, even w/o your injury.

I certainly wouldn't rule it out. As I said when I joined up there, they are very keen on seeing people compete for the fun and comraderie. I'm now starting to hear advice about how to rescue a lift and avoid the red lights by adjusting while the bar is moving and it's your lifetime 1RM. So yeah, I'd say training for competition might have something to do with it.

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